Corset edge retaining device



NOVV. 16, 1954 F, FISH CORSET EDGE RETAINING DEVICE Filed July 7, 1950 um, Y v

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HTTPNEY United States Patent CRSET EDGE RETAINING DEVICE f Florence Fish, New York, .N Y.

Application 4.lul-y 7, 1950, "Serial No. 172,476

1 Claim. {CL2-313) This .invention relates :to :corset edge retaining Adevices and more particularly to devices which are adapted Vto be disposed, respectively, about the legs of a person wearing a corset, for downwardly retaining ,the lower edge of the corset.

Corsets, girdles and like garments (herein generically described as corsets) are customarily provided with garters depending from the lower edge, the relation 'being such that 'when the hose fasteners of the garters are `secured to the wearers stockings, 'a dual function is served, namely in supporting the hose `and :in holdng down the lower edge of the corset. However, in some cases, and particularly when no stockings are worn, it has become desirable to provide supplemental means to prevent the lower edge of the corset or other garment from slipping or riding upwards in an uncomfortable and objectionable manner. While certain devices intended for this purpose have been heretofore proposed, a primary object of the present invention is to afford an improved, simplifed and yet more effective and comfortable structure for downwardly retaining the lower edge of a corset.

A further object is to provide a new and convenient device of the character described, which may be readily applied and removed and which preferably requires no adjustment in order to permit its accomplishment of the desired corset-retaining function. Still further objects include the provision of such devices which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and yet are of a durable and long-lasting construction.

To these and other ends, advantageous structures embodying the invention include a number of features of improvement, which I have found to cooperate in a notably effective manner for the provision of a convenient, comfortable corset-retaining device. Essentially, the presently preferred arrangement comprises an endless fabric band having two projecting elements which are respectively engaged by the depending hose fasteners of the corset. Each of the projecting elements may consist of a simple ring, secured to the fabric band by a short tab of elastic material. It has been found especially advantageous to provide and use only two such ring elements, disposed to lie at forward and rear portions of the wearers leg and preferably arranged so that they are somewhat less than diametrically mounted on the band. The band itself very advantageously consists of a central, annularly extending portion of elastic material bounded,

labove and below by portions of relatively inelastic fabric,

which are gathered or ruled to permit ready extensibility of the entire band. It has been found that these features, particularly in the described structural combination, afford a remarkably comfortable, self-adjusting and highly effective device for the stated purpose, one of such bands being worn on the upper part of each leg, e. g. well above the knee, for secure retention of the lower edge of the corset. One eminently satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig 2 is a view in plan, i. e. showing the band edge- Wise;

Fig. 3 isa fragmentary perspective view of a portion ofdthe band illustrating the mounting of a ring element; an

Fig. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the device is worn and used.

As shown, the structure comprises an effectively endlless tband generally designated 10, which may be made, :for instance, :of tape-like material cut -to `the iproper @circumferential length .and having .its vend .sewed .together iat fa Psuitable .locality .'(not here zshown, as being :beneath one of :the fastening devices). The band carries, -on upwardly :projecting ftabs 12, 13, Aa corresponding :pair :of yattaching elements, :for example, simple, smooth metal rings 14, 15 as .'shown. '.The tabs with their rings are :disposed on opposite sides of the band 10 -butvery preferably in somewhat less Sthan diametric position, e. g. spaced by considerably more than an angle yfof 90 but appreciably less Vthan so as fio cooperate with the Yusualdocationfofftwo vof-ftheadepending garter elements of :the :.corset.

While for some :purposes y,the band 10 lcan be .made in other ways, a lgreatly preferred type of fabric :structure is as described above, and indeed more ,particularly the specific type of fabric .here shown. This type yof yfabric, which has been manufactured .for other purposes -comprises a central section 17 of ielastic material and outer adjoining sections generally designated 18, 19 of relatively inelastic but somewhat vstiff or stiffened fabric -which 4is greatly gathered or rued so as to permit large extensibility of the material in a lengthwise direction, ri. e. in fthe annular directionlof the band. ."Most advantageously, the specific structure yshown involves la fabric -woven with a plurality of plies, i. e. so that each of the portions 18, 19 consists of overlapping fabric plies as indicated at 20, 21, 'joined adjacent the central region 17 and outwardly entirely free of each other. Each ply is relatively thin but somewhat stiff fabric having a considerably gathered or ruffled condition, so that when the band is stretched, these outer plies will be freely extendable (despite the relative inelasticity of their material) and so that at all times they will provide a soft or cushioning effect at the edges of the band. It will be appreciated that the elastic portion 17 is constituted with elastic threads indicated by their ends at 24 in the sectional portion of Fig. 3, such elastic threads or ribbons running lengthwise of the fabric, i. e. annularly of the band. lf desired, one of the plies 21 may project from the very outermost part of the elastic region 17, while another and outwardly disposed ply 20 projects from a part of the region 17 spaced somewhat centrally of its outer edge, the total width of the band at 21 being likewise somewhat greater than at the edge of portion 20 While other means for securing the ring elements 14-15 may be employed, a specially advantageous structure includes the tab 12 of elastic material. For instance, the tab 12 may constitute a fiat loop, as shown, of such material through which the ring 14 passes, the ends of the loop 12 being secured between inelastic orl pad-like members 25, 26 of fabric which are disposed on opposite faces of the band 10, the assembly of the fabric pieces 25, 26, the ends of the elastic loop 12 and the associated portion of the band being secured together by appropriate sewing. Preferably the chief attachment of the loop 12 is to the pieces 25, 26, and thus through them to the body of the band 10.

In use, one such device is simply slipped around each leg 28 of the wearer, as shown in Fig. 4, for example at a position well above the knee and with the rings 14, 15 to be engaged by the depending hose fasteners 29, 30 of the corset 32, the fasteners 29, 30, being carried at the ends of downwardly hanging tapes or the like 33, 34. It will be seen that the fasteners 29, 30 of the customary buttonand-clamp type may be readily engaged over the rings 14, 15, to provide a readily flexible and indeed loose connection, yet firmly secure against separation by vertical displacement of the related parts away from each other. While corsets and similar garments frequently have a third such depending tab 35 at the outer side, I have found that a greatly more comfortable and effective support is achieved by omitting the tension of the garment at this locality. Accordingly the illustrated structures include only two upwardly projecting elements 14, 15 and require no attachment to the outermost hose fastener 36 at all.

By virtue of the structure described, the lower edge 38 of the corset 32 is thus effectively held down, by the gentle pull of the described device, as maintained by the grip of the band 10 on the wearers leg. The structure of the band itself, including elastic and extensive but inelastic portions is of particular importance, both for maintaining the device in place without excessive binding effect on the leg, and also for allowing comfortable adaptation of the device to legs of various diameters, without special adjustment of the circumference of the band, it being understood, however, that if desired, the band may be made in a few different sizes to accommodate a large range of personal dimensions. The elastic nature of the tabs 12 further cooperates with the band and the flexible coupling effect of the ring 14 on the studs of the hose fasteners 29, 30, to permit greater comfort and convenience without impairing the desired function of holding down the corset edge. Thus there may be some yield between each garter structure and the band, i. e. individually as the wearers leg is moved, yet without causing the band itself to scrape and without interrupting the downward retention of the corset edge. Finally, as indicated above, considerable improvement has been achieved by dispensing with retention of side garter 35, i. e. in avoiding uncomfortable and extensive pull at the side of the wearer; yet at the same time I have found that there is no sacrifice in effectiveness of the edge-retaining function.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific structures herein shown and described but may be embodied in other forms without departure from its spirit.

I claim:

A corset edge retainer comprising an annular band of fabric adapted to surround the leg and having two short,

upwardly extending tabs, and two ring elements respectively carried by the tabs and each adapted to be engaged by a hose fastener of a garter depending from the edge of a corset, said two ring elements and tabs constituting the sole structure projecting vertically from said band, said tabs being mounted on said band at localities spaced circumferentially of the band by substantially more than and less than each of said tabs comprising material elastic in a direction lengthwise of the tab, and said fabric band consisting essentially of a central, annularly extending region of material elastic in an annular direction, and outer adjoining regions of inelastic material, each of said outer regions consisting of a plurality of separate plies of material joined adjacent the central region and each substantially gathered in a circumferential direction relative to the central region to permit extensibility of the band when the elastic central region is stretched, each of said tabs spacing its ring element from the band by a disltsance not greater than the transverse dimension of the and.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,404,181 Alsop Ian. 24, 1922 1,838,688 Lendresse Dec. 29, 1931 1,840,793 Rose Jan. 12, 1932 1,912,970 Cattell June 6, 1933 

